By: Lataevia-Ceianna Kemp

You’re at the movie theatre watching a newly-released horror film. The suspenseful music, the terrifying characters and the large amounts of blood, leave you at the edge of your seat. As you grip the person beside you, your heart starts to pound in your chest louder and louder. Your pupils begin to dilate, as the hair on the back of your neck stands at attention. Some audience members are not aware of how many people are actually working behind the scenes to deliver the onscreen scares. However, when working in the horror industry, the professionals are always taking into consideration what is required to provide those reactions from their viewers.

 

The horror industry is filled with hundreds, even thousands of job opportunities but some young artists can find it to be extremely difficult to figure out where to apply for these positions.  

 

Ken Hanley is the managing editor of Fangoria magazine located in East Northport, New York and has been working in the horror industry for four years. Hanley has always had a strong passion for screenwriting but began working as an editorial assistant at Fangoria in 2012 and has worked his way up in the company ever since. When asked if a career in horror was difficult to pursue, Hanley explained that it all depended on a number of things.

 

“Yes and no. There are many faucets to the horror industry; there is the journalism side, which I work on, there is the horror film side and many other different positions you can pursue to make a living in the horror industry. If you want to be a horror filmmaker, you have to be confident in your vision, meet the right people to support you and fight hard to get your vision to the screen, and that means maybe having to do things outside of your comfort zone, like ask people for money or lose sleep to fit in longer work days.”

 

“Entering into horror on the journalism side is a bit easier because there are way more sites with paying web freelance budgets than ever nowadays, although getting a staff position means making the right impressions, working hard, having ambition and a mixture between luck and timing,” Hanley said.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Malik Manning is a 20-year-old photographer and videographer, hoping to eventually break into the horror industry. Manning is self-taught, however, he attended Humber College to further his photography skills, which allowed him to build an extensive portfolio of eerie, dark photos and videos over the last six years. Ever since Manning watched the film From Dusk Till Dawn in the early 2000s, he became excited to embark on a career in horror.

 

“The horror industry, to me, is a grand adventure through the minds of some of the greatest artists there are. The grit and excitement of the horror industry makes it one of the most intriguing industries out there. To be completely honest with you, I have a fetish for dark and eerie scenes,” said Manning.

 

Hanley believes horror enthusiasts looking to get their foot in the door need to possess three things in order to be successful in the industry.

 

“The first is a careful eye: don't try to do what is popular now, keep an eye on trends and the circular motion of horror history and predict what's next. Funny enough, it seems like the slasher genre is slowly but surely returning again, a move this writer has been predicting for quite some time.

 

“The second thing is to be honest: while putting on a facade and always giving good reviews keeps politics between filmmakers and journalists friendly, there's something about being genuine that people tend to notice and appreciate”.

“Lastly, be ambitious but not stupid: know what you want, fight for what you want but never be desperate for what you want,” Hanley said.

 

Michael Joy is a columnist and operations manager for Horrornews.net located in Somerdale, New Jersey. Consisting of 60 writers, joy has been working with the company for seven years and during his free time he is a screenwriter. Joy believes that the horror industry is a “crazy game” but if you are passionate, nothing should stop you from pursuing a career in horror. He recommends starting small on the indie level of horror movies and networking your way up the ranks.

 

“You need great networking skills and I am proof of it. You want to use social media and anything at your disposal, to build your network. The more people you know and the more you get yourself out there, the greater the chance of landing the position you desire,” Joy said.

 

RELATED ARTICLE:

http://whatculture.com/film/10-famous-actors-you-didnt-know-started-out-in-horror-films.php

 

The horror industry is a terrifyingly large business, which according to a 2013 study conducted on adage.com, the fear driven industry has produced $400 million in revenue in the box office from horror films and $500 million in haunted house attractions each year since 2008.

 

 Hanley believes that it is crucial for young artists to keep an eye on where the future of the medium lies and to go at it with every bit of strength that they have.

 

“Keep an eye on the future and do what's best within your means. 50 Shades of Grey started off as fan fiction. The Martian was a self-published e-book on Amazon. Marc Maron started a podcast in his garage. It Follows made $20 million with not a single trailer in the multiplexes. Don't bankrupt yourself putting all your money into a half-assed feature film that can't get into any festivals or any website coverage,” Hanley said.